My Pappa raced Bangers in the 1970's to the early 1980's and had a brief spell in the F1's #77 hense my own #177 as unfortunately 77 isn't available just yet!
After many years of watching Bank Holiday Bangers and the odd F1 meeting at Odsal Bradford as a young boy with snot running down my nose,using the sleeve of my favourite parker jacket with the day glow orange hood to wipe it clean, well across one cheek anyway.Ha! From that time on F1's were to become a part of my life forever.
It wasn't until the year 2004 that I went to another F1 Stockcar meeting and it was with my partner Lucy Pargeter.She had been invited to present some trophies and race for Charity against some of F1's finest drivers. Luce was using one of Frankie Wainman Jnr's hire cars and she did herself proud and boy did she entertain,she did great! The exact words from FWJ was 'She's Nuts' Ha!
Luce had driven a F1 Stockcar and wouldn't stop going on about how fantastic it was I was gutted.I wanted to experience the speed and excitement of driving one of these cars. Knowing I was jealous that she had driven a F1 Stockcar before me Luce secretly had arranged for my Birthday,along with my sister Heidi to go along to Neil Fittins Driving School - NFR in the two seater F1's which were also built by FWJ. It was fantastic.What a brilliant experience.It was worth every penny! A controlled racing enviroment, one to one tuition and some fantastic guidance and tips from the NFR Team. After a few more visits to NFR's Driving School I thought I'd cracked it. I applied for my F1 licence and thought I would move on to the next stage a proper F1 meeting. I really did not realise what I was letting myself in for. It wasn't long before I was sat in the same FWJ hire car that Luce had used. I was sat at the back of the grid alongside FWJ and Andy Smith and thoughts that went through my head included 'what the hell am I doing.' The rolling lap had begun, my goggles steamed up,I couldn't see the green flag had dropped,this was it, I pooed my pants, I dropped the car into top gear and just tried to drive to the best of my ability and tried to remember all the advice that I had been given. I have never felt so much fear in my life.I just wanted to pull off on to the centre but I didn't,I just kept going, I remembered my Pappa's last words "just keep going." I was battered from pillar to post, most of the race was a big blur but before I knew it the red flags were being waved and the race was over. I can remember thinking I did it, I BLOODY did it, I was lapped about 20 times but I didn't care, I had ticked another box on my 100 things to do before I am 40. The experience was fantastic.
We unfortunatly had to have a year out as we found out my mum had Cancer. After a hard 16 months, thankfully our mama made a great recovery after her chemotherapy, it just puts your own life into perspective at the time, she's back now and at her best so the car has been named after her "Maggi-Yo Rock" she's our "Rocky Balboa", a fighter, a battler!
So with the car being named after mum we have no choice but to carry on fighting and battling onwards whatever the new season throws at us to do both the car and mum's name justice.
We are mainly a self-funding race team with a little help here and there.Hopefully one day this might change so we get a main sponsor that can fund a whole season! At the moment getting to all the meetings is virtually impossible financially so we have to pick and choose meetings we can afford to do within reason. We hire a trailer each meeting we attend which costs money and we are trying to save for new transport and,all being well,a new build!
You just don't realise until you attempt it yourself the money, time, commitment and desire these guys give,week in week out,to be at the top of their sport or whatever grade but I guess it's like that at any profession and that's what it is for some of these lads that are so fortunate to do it full time. "I tell you what, hats off to em! You can't help but admire what they do".